Workshops & Talks

Rachel is invited regularly to speak at events and conferences to share her motivational and holistic approach to good mental health. She has run workshops for companies such as the BBC, BlackRock, ITN, Linklaters and News UK, for schools including Wellington College, and for mental health charities such as The Idler Academy.

“Rachel Kelly is a powerful yet empathetic speaker who talks with deep personal understanding and sympathy on the topic of mental health and how to improve it. A high quality writer and mental health authority, you will be amazed how much you can learn from her gentle wisdom.”

Sir Anthony Seldon, vice chancellor of Buckingham University

The impact of poor psychological wellbeing on productivity and the UK economy is undeniable.

Work-related stress and other mental health issues are estimated to be the biggest occupational health problem and the main causes of employee absence.

Rachel teaches participants to foster resilience and mental wellbeing by sharing evidence-based strategies relating to both body and mind. She includes aspects of mindfulness, nutrition and exercise, as well as poetry and prose as a vehicle for reflection, perspective and strength.

Rachel offers bespoke, inspirational and practical workshops that demonstrate how to implement good mental health practice and deliver a tangible return on your investment in mental health management. At these events, Rachel aims to teach participants how to foster resilience and mental wellbeing by sharing evidence-based strategies relating to both body and mind. She includes aspects of mindfulness, nutrition and exercise, as well as poetry and prose as a vehicle for reflection, perspective and strength. She understands that motivation plays a key role in taking care of mental health, and shares her methods for finding and keeping the inspiration and drive needed to keep moods up.

Rachel offers three main types of workshop to highlight three of the main lessons she learned during her recovery. They cover mindful eating, stress management and the healing power of words. The format of each session can be tailored as a workshop or talk. To discuss how Rachel can best support your business, organisation or school, pleaseget in touch.

1. Good Mood Food Workshops & Talks:

Eating for optimum mental health

Scientists are now discovering a proven link between what we eat and how we feel. These workshops are based on Rachel’s latest book ‘The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food’ This book is based on the latest research and evidence on what to eat for optimum mental health and features recipes developed to boost your mood, keep you calm and help you sleep.

Good Mood Food includes:

Rachel’s personal story, how she went from suffering with depression and anxiety to feeling calm and well using the expert advice from nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh.

Rachel and Alice’s Ten Golden Rules for a Happy Kitchen.

Alice’s expert knowledge of the symptoms of low mood and anxiety, and what to eat to overcome them and boost your wellbeing.

The conclusions of more than 140 nutritional studies.

Some take-home recipes developed to address participants’ specific symptoms.

Easy, practical ideas and take home messages for how to apply these principles into a busy modern lifestyle.

“This was one of the best seminars I’ve attended. It’s great to hear about how a personal journey can turn into something so positive and powerful especially when something as accessible as diet can help. So much useful info. Both were brilliant speakers. Can’t wait to get the book.”

Tara Maxwell – Rethink Mental Illness Charity

“Just to let you know how much I enjoyed your workshop. I spoke to the others, during and at the end and they were equally impressed. Seriously, I needed this talk. It has changed my outlook on cooking. Thank you for enlightening us. It was brilliant!”

Eva Broberg – The Idler Academy

2. How To Walk On Sunshine Workshops & Talks:

Stress management techniques

The second of Rachel’s is based on her best-selling book, Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness, and teaches participants techniques to manage stress and foster good mental health. Rachel targets wellbeing at work through a range of practical exercises.

Walking on Sunshine includes:

Rachel’s personal story, how she went from suffering with depression and anxiety to feeling calm and well using a holistic approach.

3. Healing Words Workshops & Talks:

Fostering resilience through the power of poetry and the written word

Bibliotherapy is a known therapeutic approach that uses literature to support good mental health. This approach is highly versatile and adaptable to a wide audience. Rachel focuses on poetry and the written word to equip the audience with wellbeing tools of their own. The Healing Words workshops and talks have been taught in schools to encourage emotional resilience and teach coping skills through literature. They have also been developed for parents. Rachel offers tools and techniques to cope with and manage childhood and teenage angst.

Healing Words includes:

Rachel’s personal story, how she went from suffering with depression and anxiety to feeling calm and the role bibliotherapy played in her recovery.

Her techniques on how to use language to foster good mental health.

A selection of poems reflecting an arc from dark to light for participants to keep.

The option for a four part series in which participants meet once a week for a one hour session.

“After Rachel gave her poetry workshop at The Idler Academy, so many people were talking about it. While she was speaking I looked around the room and a vast range of people in the building had come. From suited lawyers, to business services people as well as Ryan from the post room. I haven’t seen our conference room that full for years! She delivered a difficult subject so naturally and did not scare us off with psychobabble.”